First-Time Prescribing of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists from 2018-2023: A Descriptive Analysis

Aims Limited recent data exist on prescribing patterns and patient characteristics for glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), an important drug class for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and/or overweight or obesity. We describe trends in first-time prescribing of GLP-1 RAs.

Materials and Methods Using aggregated US electronic health record data, we identified first-time prescriptions of GLP-1 RAs between January 2018 and June 2023 for adults receiving regular care. We describe prescribing volumes stratified by patient characteristics, specific drug, and FDA-labelled indication. The 5.5-year analysis period was divided into six-month periods.

Results In total, 274,562 patients were newly prescribed a GLP-1 RA, with a significant increase over time (January to June, 2018: 9,642 versus 2023: 66,569; p < 0.001). Overall, 181,860 (66.2%) patients had T2D and 229,715 (83.7%) had obesity or overweight. The proportion with T2D decreased over time (January through June, 2018: 84.1% versus 2023: 49%; p < 0.001), while the proportion with overweight or obesity increased (January through June, 2018: 75.9% versus 2023: 90.7%; p Conclusions We observed an increase in first-time prescribing of GLP-1 RAs overall, and a shift away from a predominately T2D population.